VOTER INTERESTS PROJECT: Candidate Watch – Legislative District 10 (May 2022)
UPDATE 4: This update comes just before the start of Filing Week 2022. Additional Legislative District 10 candidates may step forward for either of these positions this week; while unlikely, it’s possible that any of these four candidates may decline to file. Keep an eye on our Filing Week page for details. Also, please note that the PDC rolled out their long-awaited new website since our last update. We have updated links to candidate filings in our tables below to reflect this change.
ORIGINAL POST: Island County voters will see both State Representative positions for Legislative District 10 on the ballot this year. As of Jan. 17, 2022, four candidates have filed with the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) to run for these offices. Filing for with the PDC allows the candidate to begin fundraising; candidates will still have to file with the County Auditor or Secretary of State’s office during Filing Week, May 16-20, 2022.
Candidates are required to report campaign contributions, including in-kind contributions, within five business days of receipt. Expenditures must be reported on a monthly basis. Contributions, except from political party committees, are limited to $1,000 per election. Thus, an individual or organization may contribute $2,000 each election cycle: $1,000 for the primary, and $1,000 for the general election.
Unlike presidential campaigns, voters rarely see polling information on state legislative races. Fundraising can often be seen as a proxy indicator of how well a campaign is doing. While it is not true that the candidate with the most money wins, large financial disparities between candidates are often a predictor of electoral success.
Position 1
| Greg Gilday (incumbent), Republican from Camano Island, filed on January 10, 2021. Mr. Gilday started with $3,889.69 left over from his 2020 campaign, and has raised $79,637.00 (up $7,527 from Apr. 16) since filing, bringing his total contributions to $83,526.69. He has spent $26,025.70 (up $4,097.85). Mr. Gilday reports no debt. (See Mr. Gilday’s PDC filings.) |
| Clyde Shavers, Democrat from Oak Harbor, filed on January 10, 2022. Mr. Shavers reports $73,321.61 (up $12,166.95 since Apr. 16) in contributions and $13,828.08 (up $3,732.80) in expenditures and $4,972.38 (up $3,447.38) in debts. (See Mr. Shavers’ PDC filings.) |
Position 2
| Dave Paul (incumbent), Democrat from Oak Harbor, filed on February 3, 2021. Mr. Paul carried $6,504.78 over from his previous campaign, and has raised $92,191.83 (up $22,565.00 since Apr. 16), for total contributions of $98,696.61. His campaign reports expenditures of $16,182.47 (up $6,147.79). He also reports debts of $1,000.00 (down $1,000.00). (See Mr. Paul’s PDC filings.) |
| Karen Lesetmoe, Republican from Oak Harbor, filed on March 23, 2022. Mrs. Lesetmoe reports $2,630.00 in contributions since our Apr. 16 post and expenditures of $828.19. She also reports debt of $7,732.04 (up $4,816.42). (See Mrs. Lesetmoe’s PDC filings.) |
UPDATE: Today, Mar. 10, is the last day of the 2022 legislative session. Incumbents are prohibited from fundraising while the legislature is in session (though not from spending money), but challengers are not. This marks a useful point to check back in on fundraising for the House candidates. Our last update on this topic was on January 17; current contributions and expenditures are noted below, including the change since January.
UPDATE 2: Ms. Gregorius has withdrawn for the campaign.
UPDATE 3: The position 1 race continues to be incumbent Rep. Greg Gilday (R-Camano Island) vs. Clyde Shavers (D-Oak Harbor); however, Rep. Dave Paul (D-Oak Harbor) has drawn an opponent, Karen Lesetmoe (R-Oak Harbor).
